


Hard Lessons, Ch2-Pt1

by Dressari



Series: Distant Worlds [29]
Category: Creators Keepers of Mana, Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures
Genre: CKoM, DMFA - Freeform, Elements, Furrae, Mana - Freeform, Multi, saia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-26 04:12:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12548568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dressari/pseuds/Dressari
Summary: Shortly before the second lesson, Adrian is paid a visit by Aaryanna and they touch a little on the real differences between 'good' and 'bad' and why they shouldn't be taken at face value.CKoM is owned by myselfDMFA and it's characters are owned by Amber Williams.Currently the story is unedited, if you find a mistake please let me know!





	Hard Lessons, Ch2-Pt1

**\-- 2. --**

Aaryanna needed a break for a while, putting up with her students all morning and afternoon was getting tiring, and very irritating. While she enjoyed teaching all the methods you could inflict terror onto an individual; constantly putting up with the back-chatting from kids barely wet behind the ears was frustrating.

Coming to a stop at her desired destination, Aaryanna peered into the newest lecture in the academy. Past the open doorway Adrian was in clear view at the holographic screen he often fiddled with. Already she started to feel better, oddly, she found a sense of ease around him. The Creator was someone Aaryanna could converse with while avoiding any kind of unnecessary judgement of her nature. She was seen as a friend and not just as some pain inflicting- uncaring Creature.

It reminded her of one of their earlier conversations, and a surprising point she never expected to hear from someone such as him.

 

_“I might care if you do it to the innocent, Aaryanna. But if you do it to someone who deserves it, why should I judge otherwise. There's plenty of bad people in the world just as there are bad Cubi I gather. Many of those bad people should get what’s coming to them... though you and I might have a different way of going about it.”_

_“So even you have a point you would just kill for the sake of it, Adrian?”_

_“No, don't misunderstand. I don't take pleasure in ending life, and I believe those who do wrong deserve a chance at redemption or reform. Everyone deserves to live, but sometimes, it's necessary to take it to protect life too.”_

 

It was a phrase she could relate to, often was she presented with no choice but to kill to protect herself and her friends. But his answer was strangely apathetic, like it was a controlled impulse, a wired doctrine he was taught.

Given the extents he went for Destania whom she adored and admired so much in spite of her reputation, he wasn't blinded by overbearing ethics or moronic righteousness.  Sometimes she wondered if Adrian only acted like her friend because of the Academy, their personalities were different, but they had to have a mutual existence as co-workers to thrive.

Aaryanna hoped not, she liked Adrian for the way he regarded her for what she was already, rather than try ask, or even force her to be something else for the sake of what he felt was right or wrong. It's funny, when she looked back on some of the things she had done in her search for Destania, how many of them were truly in the realm of 'bad'.

Everything was so silent and it puzzled her. For a lecture, it was awfully devoid of any long winded explanations. Adrian appeared lethargic, prodding at the digital board before him in a lucid state. Looking further into the room Aaryanna saw his class had already assembled, waiting patiently for the lesson to begin. A couple of the students waved at her.

Elly the Warp-Aci floated over to its master and tapped his head a few times with its short arms.

“Adrian?” the critter addressed.

“...Hm?” he replied without looking.

“Adrian, your class is here,” said the critter pointing back to the mass of students.

He looked up Elly with a blank stare, “...My what?” he replied.

Elly returned an unimpressed glare, its master seemingly forgot where he was. This was very unbecoming of an Academy teacher she thought. Snapping its tail it whipped Adrian on the side of the head with a bap and then directed his view to the waiting Cubi.

Snapping back into reality Adrian ran a hand through his hair briskly, frustrated at losing himself in personal work and forgetting about the lesson HE scheduled. “Ugh geeze, I'm sorry everyone,” he apologised and darted for his desk powering up the holo-computer. “Give me a sec to reset the screen, we'll be going over some basics and an introduction to the class in general. Bare with me.” he sighed.

Aaryanna leant over the desk gauging the man's, expression. He didn't appear tired, although his emotions were rather flat. Pensiveness often showed little emotion when one was trying to answer more questions than actually solve. “You look troubled,” she remarked and he snapped up a brief glance. A short wave was her greeting, not even a verbal message. How unusual she thought and suggested, “Perhaps you should reschedule for now.”

Adrian shook his head rapidly waving a finger in the air, “No-no, no, I can do this.” he declined. It was the second lesson of the day, first day of teaching too. What would Fa'Lina think if he started to show signs he wasn't up to a teaching task already? Not a good way to impress your new boss, that was for sure. “What can I do for you Aary?” he asked pondering after the Cubi's presence at the class.

“Not much, I came to join in fact...” she replied but then looked to the student seating and noted there was no sign of an open chair. “Although, you seem to be full again.”

“Don't remind me.” he chuckled with amazement and a hint of disbelief. He clicked off a few commands of the computer before standing up, turning the chair and offering it to Aaryanna with a polite motion.

“Ooh, how very chivalrous.” she teased happily taking his offer of perhaps the best seat in the room.

Adrian smirked, one of his hands grew a gentle pink hue around it, “Only to people I like,” he smirked before gently sliding the chair containing Aaryanna to the side a little so he had room. The power from his hand dissipated once finished with the weaving. “Hello class and welcome, sorry for my earlier lapse of mind and I promise not to waste too much more of your time. So first, who can tell me what an Element it?”

Repeating the lesson from this morning Adrian presented a summery and the basics of Mana and the Elements. Aaryanna found it was enlightening somewhat, far more than she really considered. And huffed again that Fa'Lina was once again correct it was worthwhile to attend after all.

She learned more of the connection they all shared with this energy, and interestingly how they effected ones emotions. From her understanding, someone who lacked a connection to the Earth element would make one more suspect to pain. In theory of course since it was never said as fact during the lesson. But it was a delightful theory to entertain.

Aaryanna almost felt a little envious that she herself could not see these Auras, it would be a significant advantage to have as a thought and emotion reader for certain. Upon winding to a close, Adrian ended the lecture on a few final points. He was far happier and less distracted from earlier, it was contagious but probably due to the emotional energy he generated. Even for as long as she had been around the Creator, it was still taking some getting used to, filtering out such powerful versions of emotions that made a Being's output a far cry in comparison.

“Are there any questions before I end the lesson?” asked Adrian in an effort to interact with the students thoughts and opinions. “Young man at the front.” he said pointing to a raised hand at the front, easy to see since it was the only one right now. He immediately noted the crook of mischievousness in his smile, and braced himself for perhaps an awkward question.

Leaning against the table the student asked, “What’s your secret in getting the more sinister cubi around here to like you? Is that some power you have, orrrr do you take a more 'hands on' approach?”

It was definitely a baited question, “I don't have a power like that I'm aware of. And what do you mean hands on?” He queried bringing the curl of a finger to his lips scratching at an itch as he leant on his other arm.

“Ohhh you know, bedroom antics.” winked the Cubi, “Maybe that'll help with seduction classes.”

And blunt too, Adrian smirked under his hand, “Did you have a clan in mind?” he asked.

“A few.” said the Cubi a little dismissively. “Ones who thrive on pain, a few on passion-”

“You mean Aaryanna?”

“Yes. WAIT- I mean-” The student slapped his mouth with his hand to silence his stammering.

It was too late however as Aaryanna went wide eyed with shock and anger. Already rumours of her and the Creator had been circling around, and that upset her incredibly. “Ellijha!!” She spat darkly and span around to the frightened student, now recognising the owner of the voice. And belonged to one of the students that heckled the teacher in her own class.

The roar of an angry Cubi followed by the whimper of another filled the room as Aaryanna brought her fury against Ellijja without mercy. Thuds, thumps and cracks rang viciously in the air accompanied by whips and slaps.

Clearing his throat Adrian shouted over the noise, “Are there any more SERIOUS questions?” He asked but no one bid him any response. They were too fixated on Aaryanna strangling the student with her bare hands after throwing him to the ground from his seat.

“GRR! You little worm! I should throttle the oxygen out of your entire system!” The tutor roared almost lost in her anger, a gentle tap against her shoulder relaxed her expression only by a small margin. If she didn't know that it came from anyone else other than a select few, she would've attacked them too.

“Aaryanna, I think he gets the point now.” stated Adrian hoping she would heed his words.

With reluctance the angry Aaryanna shunted the student into the ground with a gasping breath of air, then stepped away towards the front of the class desk in a huff. Feeling only a slightly better from venting her frustration and reminding the students not to mess with her.

Adrian loomed over Ellijha with a stern glare, “I think its been made clear not to spread rumours huh kid?” to which dizzily the student nodded in agreement. “Good. Class dismissed, don't trip over the mess on the way out.” he warned gently tapping the student on the ground with a foot.

Quickly the class emptied. Aaryanna sat against the glass desk and stared at the ground silently, playing with the locks of hair she sighed apprehensively at her behaviour. It wasn't her best moment. If there was one bit of etiquette she tried to keep in the school, it was behaving professionally in other teachers lessons.

“Troublemaker student?” asked Adrian reaching out to the holoboard with a hand, a matching holographic glove encased the hand and he used it to manipulate the board from a distance.

“Ellijha has a big mouth and a loose tongue,” growled Aaryanna batting her hair behind her body. “I can handle the runt, he just tries my patience constantly.”

“I'd understand why the kids would want to test me, but why you?”

Pushing from the desk Aaryanna rounded it and stood next to her co-worker and leant to the side on her hip, “Mm, some of the students don’t think I'm up to the task of picking up where Destania left off.” she explained.

The Creator let off a little shrug, “Hm, after that display, with any luck you'll have changed a few minds. I'm sure Destania taught you well enough to pass on to the kids despite hear-say and nay-sayers,” he assured and smiled.

Aaryanna felt her confidence bolster a little, yet was mired in uncertainty. Even though he was trying to be nice she gathered it was merely to be polite, there wasn't any way he condoned the kind of things she taught at the academy. Did he...?

“Adrian?”

“Yes?”

“What do you think of some of the things we teach here?”

“What goes on here at the Academy stays at the Academy.”

“Um...”

Adrian lowered his hand and turned towards her, keeping a gentle smile. “Okay, I know where this is going. No, I don't agree with lessons on teaching how to inflict pain and terror in others. But, that doesn't mean it can't be useful. It's a matter of how you apply it.” he elaborated. Snapping his finger at the board he used it to recall a few photos from his own time, a few of the more darker sides of the time he lived in. “I'm not going to pretend my time was devoid of any malicious people, or teachings. The Academy and Furrae is no different from what I've seen so far.”

At least this explained some of what he had told her the other day, even Aaryanna had her taboo's about when, where and whom to apply her teachings to. Although they were probably a few times past even what Adrian would find acceptable, but if he could find a way to make friends with Destania...

It was just so very confusing, clearly Adrian was a model of someone who would protect others from harm regardless of whatever background they held. Unaware she had drifted off into thoughts of her own, it was strange she found herself caring so much in trying to keep a good impression with the Creator. Maybe it just made sense, maybe it was because he was a powerful Being and it just felt natural.

An object passed by her eyes and it drew Aaryanna back up to Adrian's gaze, breaking her thoughts.

“Let's put it this way, if we travelled together outside of the Academy Aary.” he began and closed down the holoboard, turning it off with his RIFT. “If you tried to... harm someone and I felt it was unwarranted, I would try to stop you.”

“Well you didn't stop me from throttling Ellija.”

“Yeah he deserved that however.” Adrian chuckled, “Besides Fa'Lina would've turned up first.”

“Good point.” admitted Aaryanna.

Adrian nodded, since Fa'Lina would've seen it coming first anyway there was nothing to worry about. He continued, “If you left me no choice however, I would get more forceful... maybe even go as far to draw blood. And I wouldn't want to go that far.” he said with a notable quieting in his voice.

“Would you even go as far to say... kill me?” Aaryanna asked but blinked as his emotions quickly dulled. Even though his face didn't show any signs of sadness there was something in the way he felt that went far deeper. Deep, like experience had taught him first hand. “...this actually happened?” she asked and Adrian fidgeted, scratching at his wrists while looking away to a wall.

“...Sucks when you have to choose between a friend, and doing the right thing.” replied Adrian taking a few steps away from her. He tapped a finger on the computer screen at his desk, waking it up from an idle state. “Wanna hear about it?”

She looked on a little worried, “I... kind of do, but at the same time I feel I shouldn't.” the cubi replied tapping the flats of her thumbs together. Adrian merely shrugged and proceeded to tell the story anyway, it was much more... impacting than she anticipated. Even until the end he kept calling this Jason a friend, even after what he called 'pulling the trigger' at the final moment.

Two friends, one was once a student under the other, there was no sense of betrayal or backstabbing. Just two individuals that followed different ideals, both correct in their own way, but one had to die to see their side of it come to pass. The different between what was right... and what was considered good in nature.

This was not an ordeal Aaryanna had yet to face, at least not one so deeply. And her time at the Academy was likely going to see she might never experience it any time soon. On one had it was a pity, experience of such ordeals were good teaching tools. On the other, it would be terrible to even come to understand what it was like in the first place. She was appreciative of the story regardless.

Although she sensed there was another reason for the Creator's earlier pensiveness, “So what really had you distracted earlier? I've seen you in thought before, but this looked more troubling.”

Adrian drifted his view to the picture on his desk, “Oh... that, yeah.” He said as he was quickly reminded of what he learned this morning. Passing on the information he gave a brief rundown of his visit to the Inn while handing a photo of his mother to Aaryanna. The Cubi remained with a smile, looking at the photo while he finished his story.

“I don't think this is a good idea, Adrian.” said Aaryanna looking up from the picture, “It's such a vague lead, this could be a coincidence,” she told him with a light shake of her head.

“They had a PHOTO, Aaryanna, how can that be a coincidence?”

“Magic can do strange things, what if what you saw was an illusion?”

“Illusions don't work on me, you can't trick a Creator's eyes.”

“But physical shapeshifting can?”

“There's a difference.”

“Hm, if you say so. And what if it isn't her?”

“So I'll smash open a slaving ring and do Zinvth a favour on the side.”

Aaryanna raised an eye brow at the last remark. This didn't sound like Adrian at all now, acting far more irrational and more emotional about the topic. There was something about the way he talked of family, like it was the most important thing to him, the only thing that mattered. Was he really willing to just go in and do as he pleased in a Demon city?

Replacing the picture onto the desk with a sharp tap, she looked at him sternly. “Adrian, you can't just walk into Zinvth and 'smash open' anything.” Aaryanna told him bluntly, hoping he would be more rational to see the folly that grew in his heart.

Adrian sighed, “I know...” he admitted reluctantly, realising that he no longer had any of the authority of his past job anymore. “But... this group could be some kind of lead.”

Running a hand over her forehead it was clear she wasn't going to deter him from this idea. It was a wild goose chase that could get him into more trouble than it was worth. Where was Fa'Lina to talk him out of it she asked herself. Maybe that was the point, surely the headmistress knew his plans already and felt there was no reason to intervene. “This is a bad idea Adrian,” repeated Aaryanna.

“I know, my plans usually are bad ideas,” smirked Adrian trying to lighten the mood.

The sight of his confidence didn't alleviate her concern. “Do you HAVE one at least?” she asked.

“I'm meeting with Dan tomorrow morning. He's going to take me to someone who knows more about Zinvth,” Adrian mentioned.

There was no use trying to talk him out of it, and appeared set on the decision. “Just be careful, Zinvth can be dangerous too. Demons can get rather wild if you cross them,” said Aaryanna. Running her fingertips over the digital screen of the photo, her fingers causing a few ripple like effects. “I hope this doesn't turn out as a waste of your time, or worse.”

“Yeah... me too Aary...”

 

 

 


End file.
